What the critics are saying about Pearl Bailey...By Request

" [Roz] White soft-pedals it herself, gracefully mimicking Bailey's trademark low, mellow tones while dropping wisecracks between the lyrics. The patter is nearly nonstop, with White-as-Bailey punning and joking about everything from love to footwear. (Her fancy heels are too tight: 'These are just my one-hour shoes,' White explains as she kicks them off for a spell.)

This sort of laid-back bio-cabaret has become the house specialty at MetroStage, and White -- who conceived of the show and wrote the slim book with Thomas W. Jones II -- keeps Bailey's professional face front and center. The black entertainer's life and times are skimmed, not explored, so comments about her marriage to white drummer Louis Bellson or winning the Medal of Freedom feel like tossed-off facts.

Luckily, this drive-by info (70 minutes, directed with warm efficiency by Shirley Basfield Dunlap) comes with a nice songbook. White draws extensively from Bailey's '16 Most Requested Songs' album, including earnest versions of the Bailey signature ballads 'Tired' and 'Here You Come With Love.' The four-piece band onstage swings lightly (drummer Greg Holloway uses brushes more often than sticks), and while the musicianship is generally fine, White's Bailey is more vibrant whenever she partners with more than just a tune..."

READ the entire Washington Post review "At MetroStage, a Pearl With Charming Luster" >

"If you enjoy live R&B/jazz and are looking for an entertaining musical evening out, the MetroStage world premiere production of Pearl Bailey . . . By Request admirably fills the bill. If you fondly remember Pearl Bailey and her music, you are doubly blessed. On the other hand, if you do not have much familiarity with Pearl Bailey and want to understand why she was one of the most beloved entertainers of the twentieth century, the show only provides a partial glimpse into this unique lady.

Pearl Bailey . . . By Request is set in a nightclub and is based upon a 1950’s album of Pearl Bailey’s most requested songs from her Columbia Records era. As a cabaret performance, the show is an unqualified success. Roz White is a terrific performer. Area theatre fans who have seen her in shows like Two Queens One Castle and Three Sistahs know that the lady can sing. Earlier in her career she performed as Effie in a national tour of Dreamgirls, a role that help you appreciate the fact that she has seriously powerful pipes..."

READ the entire DC Theatre Scene review >